Attention to detail results in healthier flocks and fewer losses.

  
 








Sunworks Farm produces not only turkeys, but pigs and ducks as well.

             
                                   The Camrose Canadian

 
Sunworks Farm, located 15 minutes northwest of Camrose, is in the business of raising organic pasture poultry.

Owned and operated by Ron and Sheila Hamilton, their main reason for growing pasture poultry is purely ethical.

Birds are handled in a low stress way and after three weeks of age are always in the fresh air. They are not subjected to living on and pecking at their own droppings and have fresh, green, growing grass available to them at all times.

What you wont find here is the medications and by-products that a conventional bird receives.

For the consumer, that translate to a choice when purchasing their food. The Hamilton's feel they're giving customers a healthy alternative.

The poultry operation is beginning its fifth year.

They began with one cage and a year later they were up to eight cages.

Last year they farmed 24 cages and this year they'll raise 34 cages of poultry which equates to over 6,000 birds. They also raise turkeys and ducks.

"Our meat is being used in the MacDonald Hoetl, Jasper Park Lodge and the Banff Springs Hotel," said Ron. "We also sell at farmers markets in Sherwood Park and Millwoods. We supply to major health food stores in Calgary and in Edmonton. We also have a list of approximately 75 private customers."

"Our philosophy comes from an anciet Haida saying that we don't inherent our land from our ancestors but we borrow it from our children" added Ron.

"Based on that we have no investments in machinery or metal but all our investment is in the land and product. We are strictly organic farmers and use no pesticides, herbicides on the land nor antibiotics on the birds."
      Recently they expanded their operation to include pasture pigs.

Prices for pasture chickens are $3 per pound, pastured turkeys are $2.75 per pound and pastured ducks are $3.50 per pound.

They also deliver anywhere from Red Deer to Edmonton and between.

Pasture poultry workshop planned

Are you raising pasture poultry or are you thinking about it and would like to learn more? Do you have questions that need to be answered; like what breed of bird is best suited for pasture, what type of feed fits your circumstances, nutritional needs of your flock or why are your birds dying so late in the growing season? Come and find some answers and share what you have learned through your experiences with other pasture poultry producers at Pasture Poultry Workshop.

Featured speakers for the April 14 event at the Camrose Arts Society beginning at 10 a.m. include: Al Keshwani from Rochester Hatcheries, who will be speaking on poultry breeds, vaccinating chicks and brooding techniques. Also, Miles Bell and Gwen Brown from Banner Feeds in Camrose will discuss feed rations, both organic and natural.

Jeff Mattocks from the Fertrell Company of Pennsylvania will share his knowledge on bird nutrition and the vitamin/mineral requirements of birds on pasture. Jeff has a wide knowledge of poultry health and the causes, symptons and remedies for many of the problems people are experiencing with their Pasture Poultry.

This workshop is offered at no charge. Please phone and reserve a seat (only 75 spots available) at this informative session by phoning Sunworks Farm 672.9799 or toll-free 1.877.393.3133 or email sunworks@telusplant.net